Pacers hold on to top Bucks

Apr 2, 2011 - 3:11 AM
Indianapolis, IN (Sports Network) - Danny Granger scored 17 points and the
Indiana Pacers saw a 14-point third quarter lead nearly erased, but held on
to top the Milwaukee Bucks, 89-88.

Roy Hibbert posted 15 points and 11 rebounds while Brandon Rush scored 12 in a
reserve role for Indiana, which extended its lead to two games over Charlotte
for the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.

"We know we still have a lot of work to do," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said.
"We control our own destiny but we still have to win every game."

Tyler Hansbrough and Darren Collison both finished with 11 points, while
Collison dished out seven assists in the win, which completed a 3-0 homestand
for the Pacers.

"We are a step closer and we control our own destiny," Granger said. "We're
playing pretty well right now, but we still have a lot of work to do to get
into the playoffs."

Brandon Jennings led Milwaukee with 20 points and seven rebounds. Andrew Bogut
added 16 points before fouling out late in the game and Corey Maggette scored
13 off the bench for the Bucks, who have lost three of their last four to fall
four games behind Indiana for the final playoff spot in the conference.

Milwaukee had a chance to win at the buzzer, but Drew Gooden was off the mark
on a three-point try.

"We'd like a better look at that," Bucks coach Scott Skiles said regarding the
last shot. "(The Pacers) did a nice job of defending. We weren't supposed to
exactly pop out there and end up with that one. It's the shot we got and we
just didn't make it."

The Pacers held a 67-53 lead with just 2:31 remaining in the third after a
Hibbert jumper, and Keyon Dooling canned a three-pointer on the Bucks' next
possession to start a 7-2 run to end the quarter.

Jennings and Gooden both made 1-of-2 from the line and Luc Mbah a Moute's
jumper cut the Indiana lead to 69-60 entering the fourth.

Dooling connected on another three to start the fourth quarter, and after a
trifecta by Jennings with 6:44 remaining the Milwaukee deficit was down to
79-76. Maggette's layup a little later made in a one-point game, 81-80, but
Hansbrough's three-point play on the Pacers' next possession widened the gap.

The teams kept it close in the closing minutes and a John Salmons jumper cut
the Pacers lead to 87-86 with 1:29 remaining. After a Hibbert dunk on
Indiana's next trip down the court the Bucks called a timeout with 49 ticks
remaining.

Our of the break, Maggette tried a fade away jumper but it missed, and after
Rush grabbed the rebound he threw the ball away on an outlet to Collison. The
Bucks got the ball back with 38.3 remaining, and Salmons connected on a jumper
to put the game at 89-88.

Milwaukee called a timeout after a Collison miss to set up a final shot, and
Gooden's off balance three-pointer at the buzzer came up short.

Milwaukee shot 53 percent from the field in the first quarter, taking a 22-14
lead into the second. The Bucks widened their lead to 26-15 with a Michael
Redd jumper 1:04 into the second, and the Pacers responded with a 15-3 run,
capped by a Granger three-pointer, to take the lead.

The Pacers were unable to expand their lead greater than seven in the closing
minutes, and a Hibbert 1-of-2 showing from the line and Collison jumper gave
them a 46-39 lead at the break.

Game Notes

Gooden finished with 10 rebounds and eight points for Milwaukee, which split
the season-series with Indiana 2-2...The Pacers held a 47-39 rebounding
advantage and made 14-of-19 from the line...Dooling connected on 3-of-5 from
long range en route to nine points.